Once upon a time, I only drank tea when I was feeling under-the-weather or dealing with an unhappy digestive system or an upset stomach. I never envisioned that one day I would open my kitchen cupboard to find a plethora of tins and canisters filled with assorted flavours of loose leaf and bagged tea. Like most things, my appreciation for tea did not happen overnight. Oh, and yes, I will tell you the tale of how I came to really enjoy having a cup of tea, at almost any time of day.
As I said above, I only ever drank tea to soothe any uneasy feelings I might have been experiencing, or if I was sick. As someone who never really enjoyed hot beverages anyway (I am not a coffee drinker nor do I enjoy hot apple cider or anything like that), whenever I was offered a beverage, it hardly was a warm one, and if it was, it was hot chocolate. In my house, tea was always readily available, and my mom often drank tea and so did our guests. I recall having the typical varieties like Orange Pekoe, Earl Grey, Chamomile, Green, Peppermint, and English Breakfast. Now I know you avid tea drinkers are reading this thinking about all the different varieties under those I just listed, and I understand there are also subcategories like brands as well as loose-leaf tastes vs pre-bagged, but I am trying to keep it simple for the sake of this blog. Anyway, exposure to tea was not the issue, it was simply a matter of preference.
When I ventured off to university, many of my friends and classmates would bring Thermus’ filled with coffee or tea to classes, more often than not, as going to school in North Bay means you’re basically in the cold the whole entire school year. The odd time, a friend and I would head over to Twiggs and grab a small snack and a beverage, but even still I rarely chose tea, and if I did, it was always under the category of Green Tea. I always understood that there was such an assortment of tea flavours, and depending on whether you wanted green, herbal, black, white, oolong, or whatever, that list got more complex. One could really get lost in all the choices, and picking the wrong kind over and over again could really leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Alas, the university days were over and I tea still wasn’t my go-to beverage but there were people in my life who really wanted it to be…
Finding something you love and wanting to share that experience with those around you is something we all do from time to time, so friends of mine who really enjoyed tea (and the oh-so-many selections to choose from) often encouraged me to try all sorts of options; especially on those late night hangouts while we were playing board games or watching movies. By 2015, I had started branching off and trying new flavours like fruit flavoured teas, but I wasn’t ready to indulge in flavours like S’Mores or Popcorn; those are foods, not beverages, how could they possibly make sipping them as good as munching them? How unnecessary…
In 2016 a friend and I had been talking about some things we wanted to try for the new year that we had never done before. One of the things on both our minds was trying new foods and food-like experiences. I expressed to my friend that a co-worker of mine was telling me all about her High Tea experience when she was visiting England with a friend over the summer, and it sounded very intriguing. She agreed that she would love to go, and so we made it happen.
As someone who wasn’t well versed in the tea game, experiencing High Tea was enjoyable for many reasons. First, the lady who ran the tea-shop was very friendly and was able to describe and explain the types of tea she offered in a way that was simple to follow and easy to match up your preferred tastes. Secondly, the atmosphere of High Tea really brought to life why tea-time was such a lovely experience: having a pot of tea alongside some finger foods and good company in a quiet setting was soothing for the soul. Seriously. Most of us don’t realize how little time we take to take to stop and eat, drink, and socialize – in a calmer, cozier atmosphere than at the restaurant chain down the street. The experience of High Tea allowed me to really be present in the conversations we were having and to really savour and relish in the different types of foods and snacks; it was such a well-rounded experience for me as a whole.
As the months went by, I decided I would try a new flavour of tea at least once a month. I realize as I write this that it would have been helpful to have written down all the new flavours I have tried, but once you start branching out, you really begin to develop a sense of what you do like or prefer. It might sound odd to some of you reading this, but the trial of High Tea reaffirmed the importance of giving something another chance; like an old hobby or pastime, what once was could once again be something beloved, simply by trying again (oh-and having the right company too- this one plays more of a role than you might think). A few of us even began hosting our own versions of High Tea time, and it was tea-lightful (look, a pun!)
A year and some has gone by since my first High Tea experience, and I am pleased to say that I have had the opportunity to experience many more, including a special High Tea at Casa Loma in Toronto! Appreciation for tea time was carried over to home, as the home collection of tea selection began to grow. I began to buy some take-home boxes or tins of the teas I tried during these High Tea experiences, and then I finally started paying closer attention to the tea aisle at the grocery store and even began walking into David’s Tea shops at my local malls. Before I knew it, tea fever had already begun to spread, and the cupboard was filling up with teas galore!
I encourage you, even if you don’t care for tea too often to try a High Tea at least once; there are more options around you than you might think and each experience is totally different. If that isn’t your cup of tea, (yes another pun!) then perhaps you can stop by your local tea shop and try a cup by random, tea roulette could be kinda fun?
By no means am I a tea sommelier. I cannot offer any advice on what are the best teas for “beginners” and I can’t say that I have even begun to get the brewing temperature and timing just right; it really is a process and such a science! But I can honestly say that tea has become quite enjoyable for me, and it too was a process. Sometimes, I still find the choices to be overwhelming and find myself sticking to similar realms of flavours; anything with peach seems to be golden for me! With such a collection growing in my cupboard, every time a friend comes over and wants a cup of tea, my hope is that they are inspired by the selection to try something new, or perhaps partake in one of their favourites. And if not, that’s okay too!
Is there something you never really cared for in the past that you now really enjoy?
Five Feet High Thoughts 